The invention relates generally to radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors used in manufacturing and monitoring systems comprised of single use or multi-use components, and more particularly to a system and method for calibrating the RFID sensors.
Single use, disposable, equipment and components have gained significant interest from the manufacturing community especially the biopharmaceutical, food, beverage, and packaging industries. Single use, disposable monitoring equipment has gained significant interest also from the monitoring community, especially first responders. Single use components offer flexibility, mobility, overall process efficiency as well as reduction in cleaning and sterilization protocols, lower risk of cross-contamination, and reduced manufacturing capital cost. Full ranges of single use, disposable technologies for biopharmaceutical production are commercially available for simple operations such as buffer storage and mixing and are rapidly expanding into complex application such as fermentation. Monitoring of process parameters may be accomplished using RFID sensors positioned throughout disposable systems.
Accurate monitoring of key environmental parameters using disposable RFID sensors is important to secure safety and process documentation as well as to eliminate the risk of cross contamination between manufacturing operations. In food, beverage, and packaging industries, accurate monitoring of key environmental parameters with RFID sensors is useful in protecting food and beverage quality. However, the acceptance of disposable monitoring technologies is hindered by the absence of RFID sensors having the degree of scientific accuracy required. This lack of accuracy relates in part to the unavailability of calibration methods for the RFID sensors. Thus, there is a need for a technology solution that can provide a calibration method for non-invasive RFID monitoring technology with scientific accuracy. The calibration method has application in both single use and multi-use components.